Grain sampler

ABSTRACT

The invention comprises a grain sampler having a rectangular elongated frame for slidable insertion into a grain passageway in a direction laterally across the travel of grain through the passageway. The outer end of the frame of the sampler projects out of the passageway when inserted. A channel member is provided on the frame having an opening for receiving a sample of grain as it travels through the passageway. A pair of endless chains carries the channel member along the frame and out of the passageway and empties the sample of grain out of the channel member.

United States Patent n91 [111 3,713,342

Jiri k 1 Jan. 30, 1973 [541 GRAIN SAMPLER FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS [76] Inventor: F ank J. Ji F sher, Minn- 56723 820,89l9/1959 Great Britain ..73/42i R 2 Mnch 24, 1971 Primary Examiner-S.Clement Swisher Attorney-Robert E. Kleve [21] Appl. No.: 127,466 r [57]ABSTRACT [52] U.S. Cl...; ..73/422 The invention comprises a grainsampler having a [51] Int, Cl. (;01 1/20 rectangular elongated frame forslidable insertion into 58 Field ofSearch.....73/42l R, 421 B, 423 R,424, a grain passageway in a direction laterally across the 73/422travel of grain through the passageway. The outer end of the frame ofthe sampler projects out of the passageway when inserted. A channelmember is pro- 1 Rem-em Cited vided on the frame having an opening forreceiving a UNITED STATES PATENTS sample of grain as it travels throughthe passageway. A pair of endless chains carries the channel member I3,376,752 4/1968, Malone ..73/423 R along the frame and out of thepassageway and empties the sample of grain out of the channel member.

1 Claim, 12 Drawing Figures GRAINSAMPLER This invention relates tosamplers more particularly, the invention relates to grain samplers.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel grain sampler whichis portable in nature and which may be easily and rapidly inserted intoa grain passageway for sampling of the grain.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel grain samplerwhich may be inserted into a variety of different types of grainpassageways for sampling of grain.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel grain samplerfor insertion into grain passageways and readily removable thereafterfor sampling grain.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe description proceeds and when taken in conjunction withthe-accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the portable grain sampler invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the portable grain samplerinvention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the channel member of the samplerinvention for receiving the grain sampler.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the sampler taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the channel member taken along line5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the portable grain samplerinvention shown operatively installed receiving chutes of elevator legsfor receiving the grain as it is lifted over the top in the leg.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6 andillustrating the slidable installation of the frame of the samplerinvention in the receiving chute.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the sampler invention shownoperatively installed in a grain chute at the end of the grain beltconveyor.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of the sampler invention shownoperatively installed in the top of a grain bin beneath a grain chute.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11-11 ofFlG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the grain sampler invention shownsupported at an angle by a stick or rod for receiving graintherethrough.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a grain sampler device having arectangular elongated frame, a pair of endless chains mounted upon gearsat opposite ends of the frame for rotating the chains, an elongatedchannel member mounted between the endless chains, said device beingadapted to be slidably inserted into a grain passageway with a portionof the frame in the path of the grain, said channel member having anopening in its top whereby a sampler of grain may be received by thechannel member through the opening and carried by the channel member outof the grain passageway and deposited outside the grain passageway foruse as a sampler of the grain passing through the passagerway.

Referring more particularly to' the drawing, in FIGS. 1 and 2, the grainsampler invention 20 is illustrated as having an elongated rectangularframe 21. The frame 21 has two metal side panel members 22 and 23 andmetal front and rear panel members 24 and 25 with the panel members 22,23, 24, and 25 being fixed or welded together at their comers to formthe rectangular frame 21.

A pair of shafts 26 and 27 are rotatably mounted in the side panelmembers 24 and 25 at opposite ends of the panel members 24 and 25. Apair. of toothed gears 28and 29 are fixed to the shafts 26 and 27respectively along panel member 23 and a similar pair of toothed gears28' and 29' are fixed to shafts 26 and 27 along panel member 22.

A pair of conventional endless link chains 30 and 30' are provided withendless link chain 30 being mounted over gears 28 and 29 and endlesslink chain 30 being mounted over gears 28' and 29'.

A metal elongated channel member 31 has aflat elongated bottom panel 32with a pair of elongated upwardly converging side panels 33 and 34welded to the back panel. A pair of metal end panels 35 and 36 arewelded across the opposing ends of the bottom panel and side panels tothereby form the channel member 31.

A pair of metal strips or tabs 37 and 38 are welded to the front andrear end walls 35 and 36 respectively, at their inner ends. The outerends at the tabs or strips 37 are welded to the side linkage plates ofendless chains 30 and 30 to suspend the channel member between thechains 30 and 30', as illustrated inFIG. 1.

The endless link chains 30 and 30 are of a conventional type made of aseries of linkage plates 39 pivotally mounted together at their ends inend to end relation with pins connecting linkage of the one series oflinkage plate to an adjacent series of linkage plates, the pins providerungs for the gears to engage to drive the endless chain.

A suitable motor (not shown) may be mounted to the rectangular frame 21in a conventional manner and drivably engaged with the shaft 26 to driveshaft 26 and thereby rotate the endless chains 30 and 30' to carry thechannel member 31 along the path of the chains.

The channel member 31 receiving grain through its opening 41 at its topis formed by side panel members 33 and 34 and front and rear panels 35and 36 as it travels along the upper portion 42 of the endless path ofthe chains 30 and 30'. The channel member has its side panel members 33and 34 which diverge outwardly away from the opening 41 wherebyadditional grain may be received in the channel member without enlargingthe size of the opening 41 in the channel member. Also, the channelmember 31 may be made deeper than shown to handle more grain.

The portable grain sample invention 20 may be slidably installed invarious different types of grain passageways where grain passes throughfor sampling a portion of the grain such as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7wherein an elevator leg 42 is shown having a U-shaped chute or leg 43with lifting cups 44 therein and a receiving chute 45 connecting to the.U-shaped chute 43. g

The lifting cups 44 lift the grain in the cups up over the top of theelevator leg 43' in a counterclockwise direction as illustrated in FIGS.6 and 7 in a conventional manner and as the cups pass over the top ofthe leg grain, as indicated by arrows 46 is thrown outward from the cupsinto the receiving chute, and in so doing passes through the rectangularframe 21 of the sample invention.

The sampling invention 20 will be slidably inserted into the rectangularslot 47 in the receiving chute 45 with its inner end 48 abutting theinner edge 49 of the notched or slotted portion 47 of the receivingchute. A plate 50 will be welded to the outside of the receiving chuteand act to support the rectangular frame 21.

As the grain thrown out of the cups passes through the rectangularframe, the channel member 31 will be passing laterally through the pathof the grain with the opening 41 in the channel member directed towardthe oncoming grain. The endless chain 30 and 30' will carry the channelmember in a counterclockwise direction, when viewed from FIG. 6 into thereceiving chute 45 and as the channel member travels counter clockwisearound the end gears 29 and 29 and onto the upper path of the chains,the opening 41 in the channel memberwill receiving a sample of the grainpassing through.

The channel member 31 will continue traveling with the endless chainsout of the receiving chute 45 and as the channel member travels aroundgears 28 and 28' on the chains at the outer end 51 of the rectangularframe the sampler of grain in the channel member 31 will be emptied ordumped out of the channel member in the direction of the arrow 52.

The sampler invention 20 may be easily slid out of the slot 47 in thereceivingchute when the sampling is completed.

Similarly, the grain sampling invention may be employed for samplinggrain at the end of a grain conveyor belt 53 by being slidably insertedin a rectangular slot 54 in the receiving chute 55 receiving grain fromthe conveyor belt, as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9.

As the grain reaches the end 56 of the conveyor belt, it will be thrownoutward along the path indicated by the arrows 57 and will pass throughthe rectangular frame 21 of the sampler invention. The channel member 31will be carried by the endless chain 30 and 30' in a clockwise directionwhen viewed from FIG. 8 and the channel after passing around the endgears 29 and 29' onto the upper path will pass through the path of thegrain and receive a sample of the grain in its opening 41. The endlesschains 30 and 30 will carry the channel member out of the receivingchute 55 and as the channel member passes around gears 28 and 28 at theouter end 51 of the frame the sample of grain received in thechannel-member will be emptied from the channel member 31 as indicatedby arrows 58.

The forward end 48 of the sample invention will abut the inner edge 49of the slot 54, and a plate 60 will be welded to the outside of theseceiving chute 55 to support the rectangular frame.

Also, the sampler invention 20 may be readily removed at the end of thesampling by simply sliding the frame 21 out of the slot 54.

Also, the portable grain sampler invention '20 may be employed inconnection with a conventional grain bin 60 having a grain chute 61positioned centrally above it, as shown in FIGS. and 11, with the grainas indicated by the arrows 63 passing out of the grain chute 61 andcentrally into the grain bin 60.

The portable grain sampler invention will be slidably inserted onto thetop of the grain bin with the rearward end 51 resting in the notch 64and the inner end 48 resting upon an L-shaped angle iron 65 whichextends laterally across the bin and is fixed to the bin, a pair of sidebeams 67 and 68 which extend longitudinally across the bin to spacedrelation and are fixed to the wall portion 66 of the bin and pass underthe frame 21 beneath the side panels 22 and 23 to support the frame andare formed integrally with the angle iron 65 at their forward end. Asimilar pair of beams 67' and 68' extend forward from the angle iron andare formed integrally therewith and are fixed at their forward ends tothe wall portion 66' of the bin.

The endless chains 30 and 30' will be rotating clockwise when viewedfrom FIG. 10 carrying the channel member 31 and as the channel member 31passes around gears 26 and 27 and onto the upper path of the chains theopening 41 in the channel member will receiving a sample of the graintraveling out of the chute into the bin. The endless chains will carrythe channel member 31 outside of the wall of the bin and as the channelmember travels around gear 26' and 27 onto the lower path of the chainsthe channel member will empty the sample of grain in the channel member,outside the bin, in the direction of the arrows 70 into a suitablereceptacle (not shown).

Also, the sampler invention may be employed as illustrated in FIG. 12,by simply raising the one end 51 of the sampler invention 20 with astick member 71, when the invention is placed upon the ground, as grainis dumped through the frame, such as from a dump truck, with the path ofgrain indicated by arrow 72 the channel member, which will be travelingcounterclockwise when viewed from FIG. 12, will be received a sample ofthe grain in its opening 41 as the channel member passes around gear 29and 29' onto the upper path of the chains by passing through the path ofthe grain. The endless chains will carry the channel member out of thepath of the grain to the outer end 51 of the frame and as the channelmember travels around the gears 28 and 28' onto the lower path of thechains the sample of grain in the channel memberwill be emptied downwardin the direction of the arrows 71'.

Thus, it will be seen that a novel portable grain sampler has beenprovided which may be easily and rapidly inserted into a grainpassageway with the outer end projecting out of the grain passageway,and an endless chain will carry a channel member along the frame throughthe path of the grain traveling along the grain passageway and carry itout of the grain passageway and deposit outside, and which device may bereadily attached and detached for sampling in a variety of differentgrain passageways.

It will be obvious that various changes and departures may be made tothe invention without departing from the spirit thereof, andaccordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited to thatspecifically described in the drawing but only as set forth in theappended claims wherein:

What is claimed is:

1. A grain sampler apparatus comprising a rectangular frame, a channelmember, said frame having a pair of endless loop carrier means mountedto said frame along opposite lateral sides of said frame, an elongatedchannel member mounted laterally across and between said loop carriermeans, said elongated channel member having a narrow elongated openingand a closed bottom, a grain conduit for passage of grain therethrough,said grain conduit having a lateral slot, said elongated frame beingslidably mounted in said slot with its rearward end projecting from saidslot in said conduit, power means to rotate'said endless loop carriermeans in a direction to carry said channel member to the forward end ofthe frame with its opening at the bottom and return said channel memberto its

1. A grain sampler apparatus comprising a rectangular frame, a channelmember, said frame having a pair of endless loop carrier means mountedto said frame along opposite lateral sides of said frame, an elongatedchannel member mounted laterally across and between said loop carriermeans, said elongated channel member having a narrow elongated openingand a closed bottom, a grain conduit for passage of grain therethrough,said grain conduit having a lateral slot, said elongated frame beingslidably mounted in said slot with its rearward end projecting from saidslot in said conduit, power means to rotate said endless loop carriermeans in a direction to carry said channel member to the forward end ofthe frame with its opening at the bottom and return said channel memberto its rearward end with the channel opening at the top, whereby theendless loop carrier means may carry said channel member into theconduit and may carry the channel member out of the conduit whilereceiving a sample of grain in said channel opening from grain passingtherethrough and unload the sample at the rearward end of the frame at alocation outside the grain conduit.